I read this post and I have something to share too anybody that wants to learn from my mistakes. Like OP Devilpup, it turn out good for everybody, thanks God!
About 3 years ago there were a series of rapes on parkings and a park less than a mile from my home. Three in total in less than six months. As I parked across the Walmart parking, where one of the rapes occurred, I decided to park far away from the other cars to get on some shade, and walk to the grocery store. As I passed one of the lonely cars, I looked and saw a men making love to a women in the rear seat. In the missionary position I couldn't see his or her face. As I kept walking the thought of the rapist came to my mind. I pulled the phone out of the pocket to call the police. I thought on my 20 year old daughter and thought to myself, what if it was my daughter? I would like the stranger to intervene. That's when I felt a responsibility to the women's father to intervene before the police arrived.
As I approached the car again, my thoughts of the perp been armed and getting a jump on me as I knocked on the window, (mistake #1), I pulled my gun to get the jumped on him. As I nokcked on the window and see the guys and "lady's" face for the first time, I was so scared that I would need to shoot, that I think I was almost trembling. It turned out they where just a young couple making love at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on the parking lot of a grocery store???
What if the guy thought I was the perp and he saw the need to defend himself? I would have been at fault if I hurt him. As God had it, nothing happen. I put the gun down and let them know in a stern voice to take it to a hotel and that from where I was it looked like a rape to me.
My motivation was right, but the execution was not thought trough.
My lessons learned, call police first, approach car from an advantage position where I could take cover if I felt threatened and then take action after. Double O